Boat centering and stop apparatus



Sept. 27, 1966 B. L- GODBERSEN BOAT CENTERING AND STOP APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 15, 1964 Sept. 27, 1966 B. L. GODBERSEN 3,275,167

BOAT CENTERING AND STOP APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mam/W01? Ewan L. GODBERSE/V A'TTOR/VEV United States Patent 3,275,167 BOAT CENTERING AND STOP APPARATUS Byron L. Godbersen, Ida Grove, Iowa Filed July 15, 1964, Ser. No. 382,889 Claims. (Cl. 2141) This invention relates to boat hoists in general, and more specifically to an apparatus particularly adapted as an integral part of a boat hoist to automatically center a boat over the hoist as the boat moves in for docking, and to stop the boat at a proper location over hoist.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved boat hoist.

It is another object of this invention to provide a hoist for raising and lowering a boat thereon in and out of the water with an'apparatus for centering and stopping the boat over the hoist as it is docking at the proper position, thereby making docking easy and safe, and protecting an inboard motor propeller against striking the outer end of the hoist.

Another object of this invention is to provide a boat stop device wherein the prow of a docking boat is caused to raise slightly out of the water resulting in the rear of the boat dipping and frictionally engaging the boat stop device, thus aiding the stopping of the boat and relieving the front end of the device from the entire shock.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved boat hoist capable of attaining the above described objectives which is economical to manufacture, rugged in construction, and effective in operation.

These objects, and other features and advantages of this invention will become readily apparent upon reference to the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the boat hoist of this invention; with certain parts broken away for illustration purposes;

FIG. 2 is a reduced pictorial side elevational view of the hoist in the water with the boat platform lowered for docking, and with a boat partially docked; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and showing by the use of full and dotted lines the movement of the boat upon docking due to the boat stop device.

Referring now to the drawings, the portable boat hoist of this invention is indicated generally at in FIG. 1. The hoist 10 includes a left frame 11 and a right frame 12, both frames being interconnected at each end by a pair of frame spacers 13.

Each frame 11 and 12 includes a pair of posts 14 and 16 which are interconnected by a post spacer 17. An adjustable leg 18 with a pad 19 at the lower end thereof is inserted into the lower end of each post, and is adjustably locked to a respective leg at a number of positions. This enables the hoist 10 to rest horizontally on an uneven base.

For supporting a boat 21 (FIGS. 2 and 3) in a number of vertically adjusted positions, a boat platform indicated generally at 22 (FIG. 1) is provided. The boat platform includes a front yoke 23 and a rear yoke 24 both of which are pivotally mounted on the frames 11 and 12, The front yoke 23 includes a transport plate 26 pivoted at 27 to a post 14, and a plate 28 also pivoted to a post 14, with both plates 26 and 28 interconnected by a bar 29. A transport link 31 is pivotally connected to the transport plate 26 at the end thereof opposite the end connected with the bar 29.

The rear yoke 24 (FIG. 1) includes a pair of plates 32 and 33 each pivotally connected at one end to a rear post 16, and with the other ends interconnected by a bar 34. The pivots of the transport plate 26 and the rear plate 32 directly behind are connected by a stabilizer bar 36, and to transmit movement from the transport plate 26 to the rear plate 32, a connector rod 37 is pivotally connected therebetween.

The boat platform 22 (FIG. 1) includes further a longitudinally extended pair of parallel, U-shaped yoke spacers 38 each connected at each end and supported on the bars 29 and 34. At the front end of the boat platform 22, a channel shaped frame extension 39 is telescopically inserted into the exposed end of each yoke spacer 38, and is detachably secured thereto by any conventional means. The extensions 39 are transversely interconnected by a platform support 41 on the top of which is secured a front redwood platform 42.

At the rear of the boat platform, another pair of channel frame extensions 43 (FIG. 1) are provided, telescopically, detachably secured to the rear ends of the yoke spacers 38. The rear extensions 43 are also interconnected by a transversely extended platform support 44 on the top of which is mounted a rear platform support 46.

For engaging the prow 47 of the boat, such as the inboard boat 21 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, a pair of rods 48 (FIG. 1) are provided, each bent intermediate the end thereof in an obtuse angle. One end 49 of each rod 48 is telescopically inserted into an open exposed end of a front frame extension 39, while the other end 51 is turned upwardly as illustrated, both ends 49 and 51 of each rod 48 lying in a vertical plane.

The inner end 49 of each rod 48 is adjustably secured to the frame extension 39 by a bracket 52 (FIG. 1), with a bolt 53 extended through the bracket 52, the extension 39 and against the undersurface of the inner end 49. Thus, by backing off the bolt 53, each rod 48 can be slideably moved Within the frame extensions 39, and again secured by tightening up the bolts 53. v The outer ends 51 of both rods 48 are connected by a boat stop plank 54 which is extended therebetween, each end of the plank 54 being secured to the rod end 51 by means of fastening devices 56. Thus, the interconnected rods 48 and the boat stop plank 54 are movable longitudinally relative to the longitudinally adjustable platform support 41, as illustrated by the use of full and dotted lines in FIG. 2. It should be further noted that the rods 48 are somewhat flexible so as to provide give when engaged by the prow of the boat. On outboard and inboard-outboard drives, the boat stop plank 54 should be adjusted so that the transom of the boat utilizing the hoist 10 rests approximately over the rear platform support 46 (FIG. 1). For use With inboards, the boat stop 54 should be adjusted so that the power shaft is slightly ahead of the rear support 46.

To complement the utilization of the boat stop plank 54- and the rods 48 therefor, a pair of sub-aligning cradle brackets 57 and 58 (FIG. 1) are provided on the rear platform support 46. Each bracket comprises a support 59 secured to the top of the platform support 46, and a cushion 61 pivotally mounted on a respective support 59 by a pin 62.

The aforementioned structure is further complemented by a centering apparatus cooperable therewith to ensure that a boat docking on the hoist 10 appraches the hoist and is positioned on same along the longitudinal axis thereof. The centering apparatus includes a front assembly and a rear assembly, both of which are indicated generally at 63 and 64 in FIG. 1.

The front assembly comprises a pair of ropes 66 each of which is secured at its upper end to a winch pin 67 or the like secured to a post 14 or 16, and is attached at a lower end to one end of a spring 68. The opposite end of each spring 68 is secured by a bracket 69 to a stub shaft part 71 of the frames 11 and 12.

The rear assembly 64 includes a pair of upright arms 72 the lower end 73 of each arm being secured to the underside of a yoke spacer 38. A pair of ropes 74 are provided, each rope being secured at its upper end to an upper bent end 76 of an arm 72; with the lower end of each rope 74 extended through an I-screw 85, secured to the platform support 46, and attached to opposite ends of a spring 77. By virtue, therefore, of the spring 77 for the rear rope 74, and of the springs 68 for the front ropes 66, it is seen that the normally taut condition of the ropes is quite flexible.

Prior to describing the use of the boat centering and stop apparatus described thus far, and to which this invention is primarily directed, a description of the operation of the hoist in general is believed in order. By mounting a pair of rubber-tired wheels (not shown) intermediate the ends of the yoke spacer 17, the entire hoist 10 can be transported overland by vehicle operatively connected to the hoist.

At the edge of a lake or the like, the hoist is pushed into the water until it floats due to the buoyancy of the boat. A winch apparatus 75 is mounted on one end front post 14, and includes a chain 80 which is alternately, selectively engaged with either the bar 29 attached to one end of the transport plate 26, or to the transport link 31 pivotally attached to the other end of the plate 26.

By manipulation of the hoist, whereby the platform 22 is moved relative to the left and right frames 11 and 12, and subsequent to removal of the wheels from the hoist and adjustment of the legs 18 on the bottom surface of the lake, the boat carried on the hoist 10 can be moved off of the hoist and out into the water.

For a more complete description and disclosure of the general structure and operation of the hoist, see my copending patent application entitled Portable Boat Hoist, filed February 12, 1964, Ser. No. 344,497, now Patent No. 3,169,644.

In use of the centering and stop apparatus, as a boat 21 (FIG. 2) approaches the portable boat hoist 10, the fore part of the boat will engage the rear centering ropes 74 whereby the boat 21 will be automatically centered as it continues to move forward. Should the hoist be in the position as illustrated in FIG. 1, the front centering assembly 63 would not be engaged, and the boat 21 would move forward until its prow 47 engages the boat stop 54 (FIG. 3). As Shown by the use of dotted lines in FIG. 3, when initial engagement of the prow 47 with the boat stop 54 occurs, the boat is level in the water, and with the transom 78 not necessarily engaging either the rear platform 46 or the cradle brackets 57 and 58. However, due to the momentum of the boat 21 and the slight give of the boat stop rods 48, the prow 47 of the boat raises somewhat, indicated by the solid line position of the boat in FIG. 3, whereby the transom 78 of the boat frictionally engages either the cradle brackets 57 and 58 or the rear platform support 46. This frictional engagement of the transom aids in bringing the boat to a halt in its centered position.

It can of course be fully realized that engagement by the boat with the cradle brackets 57 and 58 automatically causes them to align themselves for a complimentary engagement of the bottom surface of the boat. The cradle brackets thus also provide a centering effect on the boat. Should the boat platform 22 be positioned as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the front assembly 63 of the centering device would definitely be engaged by the boat as it moves toward the boat stop 54; therefore both front and rear centering assemblies 63 and 64, respectively, would be utilized in properly centering the boat 21 as it moved toward the boat stop 54.

For use with a lapstrake and round bottom boat, a belt sling apparatus indicated generally at 79 in FIG. 1 is provided. This apparatus 79 comprises a pair of U-shaped supports 81 secured at their lower ends to the outer ends of the rear platform support 46. A rubber belt 82 has 4 each end extended over a rolled upper edge 83 of each support 81, and which is secured by a fastening device 84 to the support 81. The intermediate portion of the belt 82 is flexibly secured to the platform support 44 by means of a bracket device 86. In use, the belt 82 snugly engages the bottom of the boat and serves as a flexible carrier means.

Although a preferred embodiment of the boat centering and stop apparatus of this invention has been described and disclosed hereinbefore, it is to be remembered that various modifications and alternate constructions can be made thereto Without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A portable boat hoist comprising in comb1nat1on: ground engageable frame mean-s; boat engageable means including a relatively flat platform, said platform having longitudinally extensible end members; and means adjustably connected to one paid of said end members and movable longitudinally thereof, said means adapted to engage the prow of a docking boat and to simultaneously stop and slightly lift same with the transom thereof placed over the other pair of extensible ends said transom engageable with said other pair of extensible ends to aid stopping the boat in response to said slightly lifted prow movement. 2. A portable boat hoist comprising in combination: ground engageable frame means; boat engageable platform means movable vertically relative to said frame means; means adjust-ably engageable with one end of said platform means and having a portion thereof raised above said platform means for engaging the prow of a docking boat and lifting same concurrently with stopping the boat; and self-aligning brackets pivotally mounted on the other end of said platform means for engaging the underside of the boat substantially simultaneously to lifting engagement of the prow of the boat with said adjustable engageable means, said brackets spaced below the bottom surface of the boat as it floats thereover for docking prior to the lifting engagement of the prow by said adjustable engageable means. 3. A portable boat hoist comprising in combination: ground engageable frame means; boat engageable means including a relatively fiat platform, said platform having longitudinally extensible end members; means adjustably connected to one pair of said end members and including a pair of obtuse shaped rods, one common pair of ends of said rods retractably inserted into said end members, and a transversely extended plank secured to and extended between the other pair of ends of said rods, said plank disposed above said platform and adapted to engage the prow of a docking boat when the transom is disposed above the end of said platform opposite said rod connected end; and self-aligning brackets pivotally mounted on the other end of said platform means for engaging the underside of the boat substantially simultaneously to engagement of the prow of the boat with said adjustable engageable means. 4. A portable boat hoist comprising in combination: ground engageable frame means; boat engageable platform means movable vertically relative to said frame means; means adjustably engageable with one end of said platform means and having a portion thereof raised above said platform means for engaging the prow of a docking boat for stopping the boat at a predetermined location over said platform means; and means for centering the boat upon movement of same over the hoist including a pair of X-shaped rope devices resiliently and vertically extended between one end of said frame means and one end of said platform means.

5. A portable boat hoist comprising in combination:

ground engage/able frame means including a quartet of posts, one at each corner thereof;

boat engageable means including a pair of U-shaped platform extension f-rames adjust ably mounted adjacent each end of said frame means;

boat stop means including a pair of rods retractably inserted into the ends of one of said platform extension frames, said boat stop means having a transverse plank disposed above said frames and adapted to engage the prow of a boat; and

boat centering means cooperating with said boat stop means and including a front assembly and a rear assembly, said front assembly having a pair of ropes crossing one another with their upper ends attached to the upper ends of a pair of posts and their lower ends resiliently connected to the lower ends of said pair of posts, said rear assembly including a pair of upstanding arms connected in transversely spaced relation to opposite sides of said boat engageable means, and including further a pair of ropes, the upper ends of which are connected to the upper ends of said arms and the lower ends of which are resiliently interconnected to each other and to said boat engageable means.

References Cited by the Examinerv UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,700,480 1/1955 Triplett 21484 2,830,718 4/1958 Havins 214-84 2,856,091 10/1958 Johnson 214506 2,902,184 9/1959 Buckner.

2,934,220 4/1960 Murphy 214 1 3,021,965 2/1962 Harvey 214 1 3,187,706 6/1965 Ross 61-48 20 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PORTABLE BOAT HOIST COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: GROUND ENGAGEALBE FRAME MEANS; BOAT ENGAGEABLE MEANS INCLUDING A RELATIVELY FLAT PLATFORM, SAID PLATFORM HAVING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENSIBLE END MEMBER; AND MEANS ADJUSTABLE CONNECTED TO ONE PAID OF SAID END MEMBERS AND MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENSIBLE MEANS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE PROW OF A DOCKING BOAT AND TO SIMULTANEOUSLY STOP AND SLIGHTLY LIFT SAME WITH THE TRANSOM THEREOF PLACED OVER THE OTHER PAIR OF EXTENSIBLE ENDS SAID TRANSOM ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID OTHER PAIR OF EXTENSIBLE ENDS TO AID STOPPING THE BOAT IN RESPONSE TO SAID SLIGHTLY LIFTED PROW MOVEMENT. 